'60s apple tree - likely root stock?
 

Due to various circumstances we now have just the stump remaining of an
apple tree which was originally planted in the '60s.

I notice that there are a couple of vigorous looking shoots growing up
from the side of the stump.

I am tempted to let them grow to see what happens, but was wondering how
likely the stump is to be apple, or a rootstock such as crab.

I know that these days you get to choose dwarfing or semi-dwarfing root
stocks to limit the size of the tree to the available space but I don't
know how common this was in the '60s.

I assume the only way to be sure it to let it grow until it blossoms and
sets fruit.

I am also guessing that if the roots are still alive and functioning the
growth could be quite rapid (much the same as with coppicing).

Eating apple, and full height around 20 feet or so at a guess.


Cheers



Dave R


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AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

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'60s apple tree - likely root stock?
 

On Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:31:06 +0000, David wrote:

Due to various circumstances we now have just the stump remaining of an
apple tree which was originally planted in the '60s.

I notice that there are a couple of vigorous looking shoots growing up
from the side of the stump.

I am tempted to let them grow to see what happens, but was wondering how
likely the stump is to be apple, or a rootstock such as crab.

I know that these days you get to choose dwarfing or semi-dwarfing root
stocks to limit the size of the tree to the available space but I don't
know how common this was in the '60s.

I assume the only way to be sure it to let it grow until it blossoms and
sets fruit.

I am also guessing that if the roots are still alive and functioning the
growth could be quite rapid (much the same as with coppicing).

Eating apple, and full height around 20 feet or so at a guess.

Ummm...

http://www.emr.ac.uk/projects/rootstock-research-east-malling-history/

Looks as though it will almost certainly be a root stock, given that
apples have been grafted for propagation at least from the early 1900s.

Cheers




Dave R


--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

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'60s apple tree - likely root stock?
 

On Mon, 16 Apr 2018 12:19:45 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On 16 Apr 2018 10:37:58 GMT, David wrote:

On Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:31:06 +0000, David wrote:

Due to various circumstances we now have just the stump remaining of
an apple tree which was originally planted in the '60s.

I notice that there are a couple of vigorous looking shoots growing up
from the side of the stump.

I am tempted to let them grow to see what happens, but was wondering
how likely the stump is to be apple, or a rootstock such as crab.

I know that these days you get to choose dwarfing or semi-dwarfing
root stocks to limit the size of the tree to the available space but I
don't know how common this was in the '60s.

I assume the only way to be sure it to let it grow until it blossoms
and sets fruit.

I am also guessing that if the roots are still alive and functioning
the growth could be quite rapid (much the same as with coppicing).

Eating apple, and full height around 20 feet or so at a guess.

Ummm...

http://www.emr.ac.uk/projects/rootstock-research-east-malling-history/

Looks as though it will almost certainly be a root stock, given that
apples have been grafted for propagation at least from the early 1900s.

Can you see a graft point? It's usually a gnarled swelling near the base
of the trunk, but above soil level or should be. If the shoots are
coming from above the graft point, they will be from the scion, i.e. the
variety that was grafted onto the root-stock and what you had before. If
the shoots are from below that point, or even from below ground, then
it's the root-stock that's shooting.

Interesting - I've never really seen a graft point on a 55 year old tree.

I am assuming that it is below the graft point because the tree was cut
off very close to the ground.

I've just been out and measured it and it is about 9 inches diameter,
Its surviving companion has no definitive graft line.

Cheers


Dave R



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AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

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'60s apple tree - likely root stock?
 

On Tue, 17 Apr 2018 23:11:46 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On 17 Apr 2018 18:00:22 GMT, David wrote:


Interesting - I've never really seen a graft point on a 55 year old
tree.

I am assuming that it is below the graft point because the tree was cut
off very close to the ground.

I've just been out and measured it and it is about 9 inches diameter,
Its surviving companion has no definitive graft line.

Cheers


Dave R

Images here
http://www.botanical-journeys-plant-...ple-trees.html
and scroll down just over half way. And here
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/ass...kg13wa9_lg.jpg

Both the images appear to show a bulbous area near the bottom of the
trunk, which I assume is the graft.

I can't immediately identify a similar feature on the surviving tree, but
assuming that the graft was at 2 feet off the ground the cut is well below
that.

Cheers



Dave R



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AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

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